


Stray From The Path

by withinmelove



Series: Hannictober [8]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Fairy Tale Elements, Gen, Red Riding Hood Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 19:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8298476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withinmelove/pseuds/withinmelove
Summary: Abigail with her red cloak must take her first journey through the woods. The price of being the daughter of two supernatural beings is that the woods are never safe for her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is unedited so there will be little to no commas. This is for the 8th day with the prompt _Woods_  
>  This is the artwork that inspired this piece: http://victorineb.tumblr.com/post/151054476634/theyoungdoyley-fairytalehannibal-the

Abigail is sure the morning has never gone slower than right now. She can barely get her fingers to cooperate to button up the back of her dress, her skirts tangling her feet when she puts on her nice petticoats. Today calls for dressing up because she’s going to make the whole day’s walk to Alana the witch from their cottage set far into the woods. Hannibal told her last night that from now on every Sunday she’ll make the walk there to learn from Alana. 

Currently Abigail is standing before Hannibal as he brushes her hair shifting from foot to foot in anticipation. For a nine year old this news is enormous and she’s eager to get started. 

“Stay still Abi-bird,” Hannibal says lightly pressing his hand on her head. “I still need to braid your hair.” Abigail bounces once on her toes before settling down to watch the door while she waits. Will had left at dawn this morning and while she’s excited to get started on her journey she also wants to know where he went. Will promised he was going to walk with her the first ten minutes. 

“Where did Dad go? Is he mad that I’m going to the witch’s house?” 

A chuckle from Hannibal says that she’s hit upon it exactly. 

“No he isn’t mad at you Abigail he would just prefer to walk you the entire way to Alana’s the first time.”

“But I can do it!” She protests looking over her shoulder at him. Hannibal kisses her cheek and pins up her long braid into a crown around her head. 

“I know sweetheart but Will worries. The woods aren’t safe for little girls no matter how clever.” 

She huffs and marches over to get her red cloak from the rack standing by the fire. Will never lets her be a big girl. Once the fur lined cloak is fastened around her throat she steps into her boots. Hannibal offers his hand and she takes it. Bothered though she is about her other father’s absence Abigail knows she must leave now. He walks her to the edge of the yard hugging and kissing her once more before she leaves. She holds onto the strength of Hannibal’s arms around her to calm her nerves as she turns onto the road through the woods.

The road is quiet most of the day. At first her nerves were on high alert. Even for a brave nine-year-old the constant warnings of the dangers to be found in the woods sticks in her thoughts. The blessing of being young is that after an hour of nothing but trees shivering their leaves in the wind, the insects keeping background noise, she relaxes and soon feels no qualms at all being by herself. The weather is frigid; a chill wind biting at where the fur of her hood doesn’t cover her face all the way making her eyes water when a gust of wind rushes her. On its tide the wind carries the strong smell of snow and Abigail is sure by the evening there will be snowflakes falling. It’s a fresh clean scent and she looks forward to it when she’s settled before a fire. 

It’s rather nice in fact even with the chill in the air. Abigail laughs out loud because she can and twirls in a circle on the wide road. There’s no one here to tell her otherwise so why not? She twirls in circles a few more times down the road before she must stop from dizziness. Abigail laughs as she staggers but keeps on. Despite how warm and friendly the woods are now she knows that when night time comes it’s a different matter. Even at home she isn’t allowed outside in their little clearing at night unless Hannibal is watching her from the doorway of the house. One of the few injustices, she’s never figured out why that rule is in place.

Halfway to witch Alana’s is when Abigail runs into trouble. She’s tying her own cherry red ribbon to the travelers’ guide post marking the way to Alana’s home (humans know her as a healer) and the town another day’s walk beyond the witch’s settlement when she hears the brush behind her rustle. Too much to be a large animal Abigail knows from experience and no human would willingly walk into these woods unless desperate or crazed. 

Her throat tightens and fright prickles over her skin as she turns to confront what has come to meet her. It’s a man and a woman with sly smiles on their mouths that make Abigail uneasy. 

“May what’s a girl like you doing out so far by yourself? Surely you’re not going to the next town, are you?” 

Abigail shakes her head but keeps her posture upright. Hannibal has taught her predators like nothing more than a cowering meal. 

“Kill her Chilton. I don’t want to wait for you to stop talking.”

The woman’s tight corkscrew curls bounce slightly as she moves towards Abigail. She scents the air surprise widening her eyes.

“She’s the adopted daughter of that vampire Hannibal and the werewolf Will.” 

Chilton grins and Abigail works to keep her breathing steady. It’s not a good thing that they know her fathers’ names and relations to her. She is only a human against these two supernatural creatures, but her fathers have trained her for this kind of incident. This day trip isn’t a special treat but training. It’s up to her now to keep defend herself. 

The man, Chilton, keeps speaking honeyed words but Abigail’s not listening. She’s focused on how close he’s getting to her, waiting until he gently takes her arm to retaliate. A flick of the wrist and the small metal stake up her sleeve is in her hand before she’s driving it up through the soft underside of his jaw. He tries to scream from the pain but he’s no longer her concern the wild haired woman is on her hissing and snarling. A little glass ball from the inner pockets of her cloak smashes into Freddie’s face. The vampire woman shrieks clawing at her eyes for the broken glass, blood and acid ruining them. Chilton receives the same just as he pulls the stake from his face, murderous. 

In a whirl of skirts Abigail goes off the path. If she can lose them in the woods injured and maimed as they are she’ll be safe. She struggles to control her panic at she fights her way through the underbrush knowing even the swish of her skirts gives her position away. Thudding footfalls (too many and too heavy to be the vampires) follow her from behind. Abigail spares a look back shocked to see a familiar stag gaining on her. It’s the one that comes to visit Will often.

The beast doesn’t overtake her but stays by her side until she must stop to pant and catch her breathe. Her muscles are trembling and she knows there’s no way she’ll outrace two vampires.

A blessing when the stag bends his knee for her to climb on. Without hesitation, she sinks her hands into his mane and pulls herself onto his back. The stag is off and she sinks down low to his body. There’s little doubt that Will no doubt persuaded the stag to follow after her. Abigail is thankful Will didn’t listen to Hannibal this time about letting her go to Alana’s completely alone.

The road wasn’t always the safest place to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Much as I first looked forward to this once I started writing I ran out of steam for the idea. This took me a week to slog through because I felt so uninspired. I'm also trying to give the cast their fair share of the lime light.
> 
> This story's song I couldn't stop listening to was _Hero of War_ by Rise Against. I don't know why but every time I started writing my brain demanded I listen to it.


End file.
